Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sqlhttp://ask.metafilter.com/tags/sql
Questions tagged with 'sql' at Ask MetaFilter.Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:52:22 -0800Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:52:22 -0800en-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60PSQL with JSON valueshttp://ask.metafilter.com/274856/PSQL%2Dwith%2DJSON%2Dvalues
I have a table with one column that contains data in JSON format, organized like:
{“Time”:”1 to 2”,”Room”:”Conference”,”Person”:”Foo”}<br>
{“Time”:”4 to 5”,”Room”:”Lecture”,”Person”:”Bar”}<br>
{“Time”:”7 to 8”,”Room”:”Lecture”,”Person”:”Bar”}<br>
<br>
I want to create a new table of two columns that will any pair each unique value option with its respective class type. So something like this, in two columns:<br>
<br>
Time: 1 to 2<br>
Time: 4 to 5<br>
Time: 7 to 8<br>
Room: Conference<br>
Room: Lecture<br>
Person: Foo<br>
Person: Bar<br>
<br>
Thanks for any help.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2015:site.274856Thu, 22 Jan 2015 12:52:22 -0800null14Best resources for learning SQL for database newbieshttp://ask.metafilter.com/267097/Best%2Dresources%2Dfor%2Dlearning%2DSQL%2Dfor%2Ddatabase%2Dnewbies
I am making a transition from an Excel-based reporting analyst to a database-oriented role in which SQL will be the primary necessary skill. I have next to zero database experience. I'm looking for resources that would be effective at teaching me what I need to learn. More within… I'm a reasonably-close to expert-level Excel user with a lot of experience programming in VBA. I've never gotten into high-level math functions of Excel like regression analysis, forecasting, or any calculus-related things, but I pretty much know the ins and outs of the rest. That's my skill set. Other than a little playing around with basic HTML and VERY basic SQL tinkering, I've no other programming experience. I thought that being pretty capable with VBA might making picking up SQL a cinch, but I think my lack of background/familiarity with database theory is making things kind of difficult to conceptualize.<br>
<br>
I'm ultimately expected to make my way into the data warehousing world, so SQL is something that I need to develop expert proficiency in. I've seen a lot of options (sql.learncodethehardway.org, sqlcourse.com, New Horizons, etc.), but I'm asking for help identifying which are good for my situation and which might be a waste of time.<br>
Free online stuff would be great, but if there’s a really well-regarded paid course that would be helpful, I might swing it by my bosses and see if my company would spring for it.<br>
<br>
Thanks!tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.267097Wed, 20 Aug 2014 09:06:33 -0800JimBJ9How can I summarize quantities by ranges in Access 2010?http://ask.metafilter.com/266114/How%2Dcan%2DI%2Dsummarize%2Dquantities%2Dby%2Dranges%2Din%2DAccess%2D2010
I am trying to summarize a table of thousands of values into simple year ranges. It should be simple. So basically, there is a table that looks something like this:
PIPE_PLR_Y MILES
1912 0.06
1914 0.48
1930 1.43
1942 1.32
1929 0.85
1925 2.00
1914 0.95
1929 0.42
...
The table has many, many values between about 1900 and today. I would like to make a table like this:
Year_Range MILES
1900 - 1909 23.6
1910 - 1919 64.3
1920 - 1929 73.1
...
Again, I'm using Access 2010. Any help would be massively appreciated.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.266114Fri, 01 Aug 2014 12:06:11 -0800rybreadmedHelp me get a Microsoft DB certificationhttp://ask.metafilter.com/265173/Help%2Dme%2Dget%2Da%2DMicrosoft%2DDB%2Dcertification
I want to get a Microsoft Database certification so I can become a database developer (I know some basic SQL using Postgres but I'd like to know more and get a certification). What's the best way to do this using a book instead of taking a class? Here are my specific questions:<br>
<br>
1) What specific book or package should I use to get this certification? The classes are bonkers expensive and I learn really well from books.<br>
<br>
2) What's the best way to sign up for this test?<br>
<br>
Bonus questions:<br>
<br>
3) How do I get a job once I have this? Will someone hire me? If not, what else should I be doing to supplement this? I live in Washington, DC if that's relevant.<br>
<br>
4) Anything else should I know? I really like databases and would like to move into this area but if this is the wrong way to do it or it will be unremunerative I'd rather know now.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.265173Tue, 15 Jul 2014 11:32:22 -0800Mrs. PterodactylHelp me use Excel to save my jobhttp://ask.metafilter.com/263885/Help%2Dme%2Duse%2DExcel%2Dto%2Dsave%2Dmy%2Djob
So, I just got promoted to a new position at my company (Yay!). Unfortunately, the new requirements involve scheduling a ridiculous number of people. It turns out my predecessor has just been doing dozens of iterations manually until one kind of worked, but every slight change puts a bunch of other things out of wack.
I feel like Excel could probably be capable of doing it, but I have no idea how I would go about designing such a spread sheet. Here is an analogy I've constructed, with the analogy of having to fill a maintenance schedule. <br>
<ol><br>
<li>I have a table with a list of names, their rank, their days off. </li><br>
<li>Every night has to have a plumber and a sweeper on.</li><br>
<li>Workers can’t work 2 shifts in a row.</li><br>
<li>There are 3 ranks. Master plumber, Plumber, and Junior plumber. Junior plumbers can only sweep when a master plumber is on with them.</li><br>
<li>The workers are very sticky about equal distribution.<strong> They’ve agreed to a “point system” where sweeping is 3x harder than plumbing,</strong> and that <strong>weekend shifts are 2x harder than weekday shifts</strong>. </li><br>
<li>They really want every worker to have a similar (if not equal) number of points. </li><br>
<li>They each have a list of days off.</li><br>
<li>Ideally, the shifts are as far away from each other as possible.</li><br>
</ol><br>
<br>
Is such a thing even possible in Excel? To plug in the table and out comes a schedule, or several schedules?<br>
<br>
I imagine it would require VBA, would it be difficult to do in VBA?<br>
<br>
If so, where would be a reputable place where I could pay someone to build this for me and what would be a reasonable cost?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.263885Thu, 19 Jun 2014 16:59:32 -0800cacofonieMerging Duplicate rows in Excel or Accesshttp://ask.metafilter.com/263876/Merging%2DDuplicate%2Drows%2Din%2DExcel%2Dor%2DAccess
I have a table with duplicate values in one column. Some of the other columns have a value, some don't. I want to have one row for each record, with all of the colums values in one row (NOT CONCATENATED). I can use Excel or Access for this. So, let's say I took several surveys of the same people. In survey 1, John said he liked pizza. In survey 2, he said he liked apples, and so forth.<br>
<br>
My table is structured as such:<br>
<br>
Name | Survey1 | Survey2 <br>
<br>
John | Pizza | (null)<br>
John | (null) | Apples <br>
Pat | Bananas | (null) <br>
Pat | (null) | Cake<br>
<br>
------------------------------<br>
<br>
I want to end up with <br>
<br>
Name | Survey1 | Survey2 <br>
<br>
John | Pizza | Apples<br>
Pat | Bananas | Cake<br>
<br>
-----------------------------<br>
<br>
I've searched for this and I find a bunch of ways to concatenate or sum the fields but that is not what I want, they must remain separate columns. The output must be in Excel but I'm familiar enough with Access that if that's a better tool I will use it.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.263876Thu, 19 Jun 2014 15:12:43 -0800desjardinsConnecting to Postgres through Powershell/Changing Usernamehttp://ask.metafilter.com/263033/Connecting%2Dto%2DPostgres%2Dthrough%2DPowershell%2DChanging%2DUsername
I'm trying to log on to Postgres using Powershell and it's not working. I did this before a little while ago and now I can't remember how I did it and it's driving me crazy. I know I need to change the powershell username to "postgres" (which, if I remember correctly, then shows up at the beginning of the line instead of "PS") and somehow it uses -U but I can't for the life of me remember how to do it, just that it's fairly simple. The tutorial says "It could also be that you were assigned a PostgreSQL user name that is different from your operating system user name; in that case you need to use the -U switch" which is what I am TRYING to do but there's no explanation of it and Google isn't helping me out very much.<br>
<br>
How do I do this and, once I manage that, how do I make Powershell recognize the postgres commands? I've got the folder set up in environment variables but I'm afraid it still won't recognize them. Thanks so much -- I am going bonkers.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.263033Wed, 04 Jun 2014 11:49:45 -0800Mrs. PterodactylWhat format is this timestamp: 2456799.87848174 ?http://ask.metafilter.com/262427/What%2Dformat%2Dis%2Dthis%2Dtimestamp%2D245679987848174
I have an excel sheet of data extracted from a SQL database. A column in the table is headed "time" and has the following format: 2456799.87848174. How do I convert this to a human readable date and time, or even a unix timestamp? I think the following match, very roughly, to these dates and times if it helps <br>
<br>
22/5/14 - 0900: 2456799.87848174<br>
22/5/14 - 1000: 2456799.89098252<br>
22/5/14 - 1100: 2456799.90347924<br>
22/5/14 - 1200: 2456799.92431562tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.262427Sat, 24 May 2014 09:38:17 -0800MorseyWhere do I learn SQL Basics? http://ask.metafilter.com/262141/Where%2Ddo%2DI%2Dlearn%2DSQL%2DBasics
I am starting a new job in about a month and need to brush up\learn SQL so that I can "hit the ground running" It's a testing role, so QA focused sites would be ideal.
I used SQL everyday, but manipulating queries others have written. I think I need now how to write my own.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.262141Mon, 19 May 2014 07:07:52 -0800MarvinJSQL Trace: How to aggregate data by stored procedure without ClearTracehttp://ask.metafilter.com/257640/SQL%2DTrace%2DHow%2Dto%2Daggregate%2Ddata%2Dby%2Dstored%2Dprocedure%2Dwithout%2DClearTrace
I'm trying to put together an automated SQL server monitoring and diagnostics solution, including SQL Trace data. I want to be able to group RPC:Completed event data by stored procedure. Unfortunately, the formatting and parameter values in each specific call make this kind of aggregation impossible.
For instance "Select * From qryLinksByNewsletterID Where NewsletterID=19" and "Select * From qryLinksByNewsletterID Where NewsletterID=234" would be considered different remote procedure calls.
<a href="http://www.scalesql.com/cleartrace/">ClearTrace</a> does that for you. But, ClearTrace can't run as an automated SQL job. Some kind of script would be ideal, and someone by the name of Andrew Zanevsky made a <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa175800(v=sql.80).aspx">post</a> describing one back in 2004, but the link to the actual script is dead. I could create my own with Regexes and such, but it seems like someone out there must have done it already. What CleartTrace does: <br>
Normalized SQL Statements<br>
ClearTrace "normalizes" the SQL statements to eliminate transient differences in SQL statements. For example, the following statement<br>
<br>
Select * From qryLinksByNewsletterID Where NewsletterID=19<br>
<br>
is normalized to<br>
<br>
SELECT * FROM QRYLINKSBYNEWSLETTERID WHERE NEWSLETTERID={##}<br>
<br>
This allows the common SQL statements to be grouped together to determine their impact on the system. Other steps include:<br>
<br>
- All numeric, string and date constants are converted to a placeholder<br>
- Prepared SQL is displayed as the actual statement executed<br>
- Server-side cursors are prefixed with "{CURSOR}" so they can be identified and removed<br>
- sp_executesql displays the actual SQL statement executed<br>
- Stored Procedure names are pulled from the RPC:Completed event<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Anybody manage to automate this? Currently, the support team at my company is logging onto servers, querying Profiler data saved to a table, and manually looking through a list of RPC:Completed entries ordered by duration. We then find the longest duration for each Stored Procedure call that took over 4 seconds and type it into an Excel Spreadsheet. I want to kill myself.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2014:site.257640Sun, 23 Feb 2014 19:24:19 -0800UrbanEyeLarge scale web applications running on Windowshttp://ask.metafilter.com/253836/Large%2Dscale%2Dweb%2Dapplications%2Drunning%2Don%2DWindows
As a long time Linux Engineer I enjoy reading about the technologies used by sites like Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, Yahoo (for things like Flickr) and other large sites to build things out to scale. I often lend a hand with Windows customers at work and it recently occurred to me that I've never seen a <a href="http://highscalability.com/">website</a> or <a href="https://engineering.twitter.com/">blog</a> <a href="http://codeascraft.com/">posts</a> that relate to scaling on Windows. In particular I'd be interested in seeing how large MS SQL instances are handled (sharding, masters, slaves, etc.), what technologies are available for app caching (on all of the levels, so memcached, varnish, opcode caching, etc. equivalents), and general large scale administration (I know Puppet Enterprise is available for configuration management, but is it widely used, or is everyone using Powershell, etc.). I'm also sort of curious how Continuous integration/Continuous delivery is done on the Windows side. <br>
<br>
I was certain that Microsoft must have posts like this, but Google failed me there. I'm also less interested in them (especially given that they ran Hotmail on a combination of Solaris and FreeBSD for most of the early part of its life), and more interested in others. <em>Someone</em> has to be running a large scale web app (let's define large as hundreds of VMs in multiple geo-distant datacenters) on Windows and talking about it. I'd like to read about those people, and now that I've mentioned it, I'd prefer to read about it, not watch videos.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.253836Tue, 17 Dec 2013 09:14:58 -0800togdonDocument-Oriented Database for Non-Programmers?http://ask.metafilter.com/253059/Document%2DOriented%2DDatabase%2Dfor%2DNon%2DProgrammers
Is there such a thing as a Document-Oriented Database for Non-Programmers? I've been searching the web for several days and I'm quite confused so I thought to post here. These are some criteria for the solution that I imagine in my head. I had hoped to be able to rapidly develop <a href="https://github.com/dylan-k/bestrew/blob/master/writers-database_data-model.md">this little three-table thing</a>, but it isn't going quickly for me.<br>
<br>
Is such a thing even possible?<br>
<br>
- the data is stored as TXT XML JSON or anything that can be portable and opened with any text editor.<br>
<br>
- a spreadsheet-like view for sorting/editing items within the data<br>
<br>
- forms for adding new data<br>
<br>
- Setup and maintain without having to learn javascript, PHP, etc.<br>
<br>
- works offline (but using a browser is ok), on PC or Windows<br>
<br>
- minimal need for relational-database functions, I think?<br>
<br>
In my search, I've heard a lot about NoSQL, HTML5, and so on, but I'm confused. I only really know HTML and CSS.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.253059Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:39:56 -0800dylan_kHourly contract rate for SQL in the UK?http://ask.metafilter.com/252470/Hourly%2Dcontract%2Drate%2Dfor%2DSQL%2Din%2Dthe%2DUK
I'm an American in the UK and have been hired to do some freelance work for a tech company in Northern England. I'm not sure what to charge for my hourly rate. I am working in SQL, writing queries and turning them into data visualizations for the web (using Ruby and Javascript/HTML). I am very junior, although quite competent at SQL; I'm coming up (and quickly) in the other areas. I am a senior graphic designer and extremely competent in the design/layout side of things, but those skills are not required here. I only mention it because I had been doing freelance work in the States for ~15 years and so there is some crossover with understanding workflows, computers, freelancing, etc. I just don't know how the rates and this new skill set I'm acquiring translate and add up to an appropriate hourly rate here. What is the range I should be thinking about? I want to make sure I'm not selling myself short, but also not asking for something overinflated and ridiculous for my competence level; I've done some internet searching but I can't seem to figure out where the upper and lower limits are. Thanks!tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.252470Sat, 23 Nov 2013 08:29:59 -0800AnonymousSQL Teaching Gamehttp://ask.metafilter.com/245819/SQL%2DTeaching%2DGame
I remember coming across a game that represented rows in a database as stars in a galaxy, and gave the player visual feedback for the queries they entered. What was that called?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.245819Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:07:54 -0800phrontistHow can I do... anything? with this JSON file?http://ask.metafilter.com/243691/How%2Dcan%2DI%2Ddo%2Danything%2Dwith%2Dthis%2DJSON%2Dfile
So, I've found the source of all the data I need in my database, but it is in a JSON file.
MSSQL cannot read JSON and the entire internet seems devoted to telling me how brilliant and easy JSON is and then giving me 20 pages of code to deal with it.
I don't have time to implement a JSON parse in C or anything like that.
I just need to put this perfectly simple bit of data into a database.
Can you help? I've tried online convertors, but the file is just a bit too big for them it seems. A downloadable one might work, but I can't find one.<br>
<br>
I do have a Table0valued Function in MSSQL which takes a JSON parameter, but I'm quite new to MSSQL and I don't really know how to feed the parameter into it.<br>
<br>
Any ideas?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.243691Thu, 27 Jun 2013 07:47:20 -0800Just this guy, y'knowMS Access Combo Box Fields behaving strangely.http://ask.metafilter.com/242588/MS%2DAccess%2DCombo%2DBox%2DFields%2Dbehaving%2Dstrangely
I'm putting together an Access database (woe is me), which includes some "multiple choice" fields, that contain a defined list of options. I've got some code that puts together a query, and generates a report. The way these fields are displayed in this report is inconsistent, and I'm trying to figure out why. Say I have two of these multiple-choice fields in the output. I run a query, in the results the "SuitableArea" field has multiple values returned; ("Room 1", "Room 7", "Room 8"). The report puts <i>all</i> these results next to each other in a text box, so you can see them all. This is what I want. One page per record, with all the matched values for these multiple-choice fields reported next to each other.<br>
<br>
Another field, "Cognition", also returns multiple results ("Confusion","Dementia","Anxiety"). The report only outputs <b>one</b> of these returned values on the page, and generates three report pages, one for each returned value.<br>
<br>
When I look at the report design, the Control Source for the field that's working correctly reads "SuitableArea". The Control Source for the field that's misbehaving and splitting to multiple pages reads "Residents.Cognition.Value". This is the only thing different about this field's setup, both in the table definition, and in the query, and in the report. But I can't change it so its just "Cognition". It goes back to how it was. What's going wrong?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.242588Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:45:21 -0800JimbobFixing an unreasonably slow MySQL queryhttp://ask.metafilter.com/241635/Fixing%2Dan%2Dunreasonably%2Dslow%2DMySQL%2Dquery
Query and Explain output <a href="https://gist.github.com/anonymous/544781523c6aebece41f">here</a>. Query must be executed 4022 times, each with a different Strip_ID, while the script processes, adding 4+ minutes to what would otherwise be a ~90-second task. I have (separate) indices defined @ Parent_Table and Parent_ID, in addition to the table's primary key on an auto-incrementing ID. Adding combined indices for those two fields (in each order, just to be safe) did not change MySQL's analysis of the query or improve execution speed. The full (relevant) context of the query is available <a href="https://gist.github.com/anonymous/5ad45e2ddf4647838d18">here</a>. SHOW CREATE TABLE for Strip_Text available <a href="https://gist.github.com/anonymous/a863021c000c34835299">here</a>.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.241635Fri, 24 May 2013 22:36:15 -0800The ConfessorSome weird SQL code appeared unexpectedly in my browser's address barhttp://ask.metafilter.com/241557/Some%2Dweird%2DSQL%2Dcode%2Dappeared%2Dunexpectedly%2Din%2Dmy%2Dbrowsers%2Daddress%2Dbar
I know it's some sort of SQL injection, but I didn't type it in, it just appeared briefly. I just want to know more about it and how it works. I was looking at a page in Japanese on firefox, and I wanted a translation so I copied and pasted to Comodo Dragon which is a Browser built on the Chrome rendering engine. When I did, the browser locked up for a about 10 seconds, then acted wonky for a few more seconds, then i happened to be looking at the address bar when it happened, I saw that words Drop Table. It didn't stay there long enough for me to see then entire thing. <br>
<br>
Have you ever heard of this? By which I mean an SQL injection executed on a remote machine. <br>
<br>
I am naturally running a scan on my machine. <br>
<br>
Would anyone happen to be able to shed some light on this matter?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.241557Thu, 23 May 2013 18:33:33 -0800zorro astorTraining courses for MCSA?http://ask.metafilter.com/238537/Training%2Dcourses%2Dfor%2DMCSA
Please recommend training courses for certifications related to Microsoft server and SQL administration, such as MCSA. Our IT department is looking for educational opportunities that result in certifications. We handle Microsoft servers including SQL servers and IIS servers. It looks like MCSA is one of the best recognized options. We're looking for training courses geared towards specific exams, preferably available online, mainly to avoid having to be off-site for extended periods, rather than because of cost.<br>
<br>
What certifications would you look for, and can you recommend specific courses or training companies?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.238537Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:39:58 -0800odinsdreamHow can I merge only the relevant results in SQLhttp://ask.metafilter.com/235696/How%2Dcan%2DI%2Dmerge%2Donly%2Dthe%2Drelevant%2Dresults%2Din%2DSQL
I have a table in my database.
It has a bunch of 4 digit codes representing a location (as well as other data).
The problem is that some of these locations need to be replaced with an updated code. I have a second table with the substitutions that need to be made, but it is only a small minority of codes that need updating.
How do I format my SQL statement to produce me a list of all records, with the new location code if it has a new code and the old code if there is no update needed. *BONUS ROUND*<br>
There are actually two columns using these location codes (origin and destination) can I update both these columns at the same time in the same way?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.235696Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:29:42 -0800Just this guy, y'knowData Driven Clinical Care - Dynamic Graphing Websitehttp://ask.metafilter.com/233292/Data%2DDriven%2DClinical%2DCare%2DDynamic%2DGraphing%2DWebsite
I would like advice on creating a dynamic graphing website to display clinical data on a intranet website to better aide clinicians. What my superiors are seeking is a "Data Mall." My programming/server-admin. experience is minimal, but my Linux-hobbyist mentality <i> hates </i> the MS Access solution that is being built. <u>The scene:</u><br>
<br>
So, our administrators have fallen in love with a concept that they have seen at a conference where clinicians could quickly and easily see a short list of their patients who have certain 'abnormal' clinical values/conditions, or to rank themselves amongst other providers according to certain metrics. Etc. Some call it a "Data Mall."<br>
<br>
Our senior data coordinator has done a great job of leveraging an MS Access database (pulled from our true clinical database) with a VB front-end to be accessed by all providers. But, it still kind of sucks. It takes a long time to load, and is just unwieldy to ask clinicians to use the Access front-end.<br>
<br>
<u>Me, and where I have gotten so far:</u><br>
<br>
I have previously setup my own LAMP CentOS server running MediaWiki just for fun, and was basically able to create a similar setup on a Windows PC using "EasyPHP", on top of which I installed Mediawiki and found a script for making calls to "<strong>Ploticus</strong>" from Mediawiki. I was able to display the simplest-of-simplest pie-charts on my wiki.<br>
<br>
<u>The heart of the matter:</u><br>
<br>
The problem is that this solution seems complex, especially since my PHP and SQL knowledge is limited. Would the best solution just to be to dig in and master this option? Any recommendations for starting points?<br>
<br>
Or is there another tool, method, etc. that I should be looking at?<br>
<br>
I realize that building this could almost be a full-time job, but like I said, part of me is just intrigued by the challenge, and part of me wants to impress the higher-ups. Still, maybe it is best left to the pros...?tag:ask.metafilter.com,2013:site.233292Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:56:00 -0800rosswaldmodel.where(:name => "string) INTERNAL ERROR!!! No attribute exists!http://ask.metafilter.com/231300/modelwherename%2Dstring%2DINTERNAL%2DERROR%2DNo%2Dattribute%2Dexists
In Rails, I'm using a model to represent a database view. I'm getting an error when I try to search on an attribute. (<a href="https://gist.github.com/4318743">gist</a>). Not sure why this is happening, especially the fact that model.where(:attribute =&gt; "string") has an error but model.where("attribute = ?", "string") does not. Anyone run into this before? I haven't used a model to represent a view before, only to represent a table.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2012:site.231300Mon, 17 Dec 2012 07:48:51 -0800czytmHelp this Mac user learn PC software for job hunthttp://ask.metafilter.com/221895/Help%2Dthis%2DMac%2Duser%2Dlearn%2DPC%2Dsoftware%2Dfor%2Djob%2Dhunt
How can I improve my computer skills for job hunt when I use a Mac and the software is for PC? I recently posted about my career conundrum, and got some great advice. <br>
<br>
I met with a career counselor today who will help me with my resume, and formatting towards the type of jobs we think would suit -- primarily Sales Operations/Analyst positions. <br>
<br>
He suggested I take classes to brush up on my Excel (I self-taught a lot for my MBA program, but I used Office 2008 for Mac), learn SQL querying and VBA. <br>
<br>
What is the best way for me to learn these things? I'm having a hard time finding classes and would prefer to learn online, but without a PC I'm not sure if that is possible. <br>
<br>
I am in Austin, TX. <br>
<br>
Thanks in advance and I appreciate any help or resources you can suggest.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2012:site.221895Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:25:42 -0800hrjHow to share many pdf files with our many customers?http://ask.metafilter.com/217510/How%2Dto%2Dshare%2Dmany%2Dpdf%2Dfiles%2Dwith%2Dour%2Dmany%2Dcustomers
How to share many pdf files with our many customers? My boss has tasked me with finding a software that will allow us to share a lot of pdf files with our customers. The preferred setup would run on on windows and could possible be hosted on an external web server. We are a a windows shop so IIS and MSSQL server is preferred.<br>
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We would need individual logins and passwords for each user, and each user would be in a group for each customer. These pdf files will contain mostly engineering drawings and things associated with those.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2012:site.217510Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:18:24 -0800monkey_toesAm I SQL to the task?http://ask.metafilter.com/215289/Am%2DI%2DSQL%2Dto%2Dthe%2Dtask
I'm a full-time freelance web designer and developer for a wide variety of clients. One of my clients just asked me to build a web site them but it turns out that what they really want instead is a user registration system that has a rewards component. Can I beg, borrow or steal something that's already built, or should I get out now before I get in too deep? Up until now they've been managing the user registration through web forms that I made for them. Then, to keep track of the earned rewards part, they've been doing a combination of manual and automatic updates through a custom third-party software tool that populates a SQL database.<br>
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I'm comfortable with PHP and I know a small, very small amount about MySQL databases because I wrangle 60+ WordPress sites for other clients. But checking into phpMyAdmin for changing the occasional admin password or resetting voting tables is about my only real experience with working with MySQL databses directly. <br>
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I always like to learn new things, so at first I felt OK about this being outside of my comfort zone. But for this particular client, I feel like I have worked blind on many fronts on past assignments -- for example, I've been asked to set up web-based forms on another site that never had any mail server set up for it, which left me to waste a lot of time troubleshooting why my scripts weren't working no matter what I tried. It wasn't until I had to admit defeat to the client that one of them checked back with their "IT guy" and discovered the technical problems on their end.<br>
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I haven't yet received any information about the SQL database they're using today, what tables they're using, what data they need to collect, or how many registrants they have or expect to have. I'm afraid of not asking the right questions up front to get everything I need.<br>
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They have a very rapid turnaround time and deadline in mind. And while that's typical, I'm nervous about being poised to fail since I don't know what information I should have but didn't ask for.<br>
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I'm tempted to use something like WordPress, since it has a registration system and mail functionality and a powerful forms plug-in to let people register and send them all kinds of automatic notifications. Then I think I should be able to integrate with their other, existing SQL database without too much angst. But of course, this may just be the hammer that I have and everything about this project looks like a nail. <br>
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What other tools might I consider, and am I being foolhardy to pursue this? I appreciate your insights.tag:ask.metafilter.com,2012:site.215289Mon, 14 May 2012 09:52:08 -0800lgandme0717